ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. charge — a price
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. face — to confront
  8. charge — electricity
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. clip — a video
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. charge — in control
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com